Management of Incoming Information

1. A method for determining reliability of data from a first data source of a plurality of data sources, each data source associated with a corresponding data providing device, the method comprising: receiving, at a device configured to determine the reliability of data, the data from the first data source; determining the reliability of the received data based on trust information corresponding to the first data source, wherein the step of determining the reliability comprises: determining the data received from the first data source of the plurality of data sources is congruent with the data received from a second data source of the plurality of data sources, determining a relationship between the first data source and the second data source, assigning a reliability factor to the first data source based on the determined the relationship between the first data source and second data source, and assigning another reliability factor indicating an increase in reliability to each of the plurality of data sources having data congruent with the first data source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data source comprises a federated device in a network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the federated device is a sensing device in a sensor network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assigning a reliability factor includes indicating that the first data source and second data source are unreliable if a relationship is identified between the first and second data source.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a relationship between the first data source and the second data source includes determining that a relationship between the first data source and the second data source exists, and the step of assigning a reliability factor includes identifying the first and second data sources as unreliable.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data received from the first data source and the second data source is non-congruent with data received from at least one other data source in the plurality of data sources.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a relationship between the first data source and the second data source includes comparing the first data source and the second data source.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the comparing includes comparing at least one of a device brand, model, vendor, or location.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the comparing includes comparing corresponding users of the first and second data sources.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the reliability further comprises: identifying a reliability history record of the first data source, the reliability history record including past reliability of the first data source; and wherein the assigning the reliability factor is based on the past reliability of the first data source, the reliability factor corresponding to a predicted reliability of the first data source.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the reliability history record indicates that the first data source is historically reliable, and wherein of reliability factor indicates that the first data source is reliable.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the reliability includes: determining a user corresponding to the first data source; identifying a data type of the data received from the first data source; comparing the data type with the user wherein the reliability factor is based on the comparing.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of comparing comprises determining a match between the type of data and the user and wherein the reliability factor indicates that the data source is reliable.

14. A method for determining reliability of data from a first data source of a plurality of data sources, each data source associated with a data providing device, the method comprising: receiving, at a device configured to determine reliability of data, the data from the first data source; and determining reliability of the received data based on trust information corresponding to the first data source, wherein the step of determining the reliability comprises: determining the data received from a first data source in the plurality of data sources is congruent with data of a predetermined number of data sources in the plurality of data sources, assigning a reliability factor indicating that the first data source is reliable based on the congruency of data, and assigning another reliability factor indicating an increase in reliability to each of the plurality of data sources having data congruent with the first data source.

15. A method for determining reliability of data from a first data source of a plurality of data sources, each data source associated with a data providing device, the method comprising: receiving, at a device configured to determine reliability of data, the data from the first data source; and determining reliability of the received data based on trust information corresponding to the first data source wherein the step of determining the reliability includes: identifying a user associated with the first data source, identifying a level of trust associated with the first data source based on the association of the first data source with the user, assigning a reliability factor to the first data source based on the identified level of trust, and assigning another reliability factor indicating an increase in reliability to each of the plurality of data sources having data congruent with the first data source.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first data source and the associated user form a trust network.